text:
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Chicken Kiev – A High Degree of Difficulty Always Scores Extra Points
69 comments:
- Deniz said...
This thing looks amazing, if a little too greasy. Can I use some other herb instead of parsley? Basil? Fresh thyme?
- February 18, 2014 at 7:12 AM
- Unknown said...
Love all your recipes! Thank you for inspiring so many!
- February 18, 2014 at 8:02 AM
- foolishranting said...
Chef John! I was wondering what were the sides that you served the chicken Kievs with? and if it's not too much trouble, how did you make them? Thanks a lot. :)
- February 18, 2014 at 8:46 AM
- Roz said...
That looks wonderful, as always. Before I try this, I must first compose myself from the Housewives joke.
- February 18, 2014 at 9:29 AM
- Roz said...
That looks wonderful, as always. Before I try this, I must first compose myself from the Housewives joke.
- February 18, 2014 at 9:29 AM
- Dustin said...
What are you doing up so late John!!?
- February 18, 2014 at 10:21 AM
- Dustin said...
What are you doing up so late John!?
- February 18, 2014 at 10:21 AM
- Vincent said...
How about poaching the packets before breading and frying, instead of baking them afterwards?
I think I'll give that a try sometime in the near future. - February 18, 2014 at 10:36 AM
- Unknown said...
Just as I was reading up to before you said "If I do these for a larger group, I always do a few extra, so I can cut into one and double-check." I was thinking the exact same thing, if I make it i'm going to do an extra one just to cut n test for doneness.
- February 18, 2014 at 12:30 PM
- Daniel Bottoms said...
this is amazing. i've watched sections of your video several times.... how you're able to make a "ball" out of this is beyond me!!! and it works! I've had this with terragon btw and it's wonderful, but flat leaf parsely is a winner.
frankly speaking, it looks like you're able to put in MORE garlic butter than the versions i know and have done... always a winner! will definately try this again and go for ball formation!!!
best from Austria as always! and thanks for inspiration!
Daniel - February 18, 2014 at 2:11 PM
- aaronchow said...
So funny you're my idol! One day I hope my blog gets as popular as yours.
- February 18, 2014 at 4:21 PM
- Poet, Lover, Lunatic said...
Who else pronounces the "T" in pestle? Is that a Cali thing?
- February 18, 2014 at 4:39 PM
Woah! This made my mouth watery. Sweet sweet weekend coming up and I'm going to spend it stuffing my face with this.
- February 18, 2014 at 6:41 PM
- FSB said...
Thank you for marking your territory... now we know it's really you.
- February 18, 2014 at 11:10 PM
- Razmig Yahniyan said...
Dear Chef John,
Warm greetings and it's been awhile since i wrote to you,
it's funny that after you promised long ago to show us your sister's recipe for the Chicken Kiev it has finally happened, i remember from long time back you said you would one day show us and finally it's happened.
thank you as always and guess what my family is going to have for lunch this Sunday ?
You're the best Chef John !!!
your N# 1 fan from far away Beirut, Lebanon
Razmik - February 19, 2014 at 4:28 AM
- AKMoore said...
Chef John, when did your blog become political? can we expect more topical recipes from you in the future?
- February 19, 2014 at 3:34 PM
- Sean said...
Wow. This is like the triple cork 1440 of chicken dishes. Scary to do yet so worth it if you pull it off.
- February 19, 2014 at 4:57 PM
- Chef John said...
AK, Sorry, don't understand the question! Political?
- February 19, 2014 at 6:20 PM
- Chef John said...
Sorry, never answered side question! Served with mashed potatoes and tomato-radish sprout salad. No recipes! Just that and oil and vin.
- February 19, 2014 at 7:38 PM
- Chef John said...
Sorry, never answered side question! Served with mashed potatoes and tomato-radish sprout salad. No recipes! Just that and oil and vin.
- February 19, 2014 at 7:39 PM
- Joel said...
I think AK is referring to the fact that Kiev is burning at the moment.
This looks delicious, by the way ! - February 19, 2014 at 8:19 PM
- Joel said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- February 19, 2014 at 8:28 PM
- Jude said...
Why not just make breaded cutlets with the garlic butter parsley sauce in a pan?
- February 19, 2014 at 9:04 PM
- Chef John said...
Yeah, that's what I figured, but how is posting a chicken recipe political? Maybe he was drunk.
- February 19, 2014 at 10:52 PM
- Chef John said...
You can. And instead of ravioli, you can just eat pasta with ricotta. And instead of peanut butter cups, you can just stick chocolate into peanut butter, etc.
- February 19, 2014 at 10:56 PM
- Lucascansler said...
Thanks for the recipe! Not gonna lie, I'm only 15 and I did this recipe pretty easily. You're a huge inspiration to me!
-Lucas - February 20, 2014 at 12:52 AM
- Lucascansler said...
Thanks for the recipe! I'm 15 and you're a huge inspiration to me. I just made this tonight for my mom and brother and they loved it!
Thanks again,
Lucas - February 20, 2014 at 12:54 AM
- Ed the house chef said...
I'm in the middle of making this tonight and when I pounded the breasts flat, they just didn't come out anything like the ones on your blog. The ones you did look like a deformed T, mine look more like a rectangle. So far, everything else is coming out the same but I need to about double the time in my freezer. Living in Italy, utilizing borrowed appliances, I just don't have the same cooling power as you, but I'm used to improvising. I'm serving with an asparagus risotto with a gorgonzola cream sauce plus a light salad. Can't wait and thanks for the recipes Chef.
- February 20, 2014 at 10:23 AM
- Linda said...
This looks amazing. Thank you so much for sharing.
- February 20, 2014 at 1:10 PM
- Chloe Pollacco said...
I've always wanted to make something like this, looks so good! Thanks for sharing, I am now a follower! :D
- February 20, 2014 at 7:31 PM
- Nise said...
I made your Chicken Kiev for dinner this evening! My family loved it! I did everything just as you said with no variation (smart girl). It came out perfectly and they loved the drama moment when they cut into the meat and the garlic/herb butter oozed out. (They'd inadvertently seen your video a few days ago as I was watching it, and they ooo'd and awww'd.) My chicken breasts were 10 oz each so I gave them a few extra minutes. I also served sauteed red cabbage (on hand from the garden) and mashed potatoes. Marbled brownies for dessert. Thank you, Chef, for yet another great recipe and, as always, you are hilarious!
- February 20, 2014 at 8:17 PM
- Chef John said...
Sounds great! You have a lucky family. Thanks!
- February 20, 2014 at 8:24 PM
- McShine said...
My gawd this looks amazing! Totally making these this weekend. Btw, you really like your Putin-puns, don't you ;)
- February 20, 2014 at 11:55 PM
- Ed the house chef said...
Well, mine turned out not exactly perfect. The taste/texture was everything I'd excpect, however the orgasmic moment of cutting into the chicken breast and having molten butter and garlic spew forth didn't quite happen. The garlic and herbs were all there but most of the butter leaked out. 1 of the 4 turned out okay, but it was my test breast :( Rave reviews from my dinner guests at the taste and they didn't know any better regarding the butter. So, all in all I'd chalk it up as a success with some good lessons learned.
- February 21, 2014 at 12:35 AM
- Unknown said...
That chicken Kiev has Always eluded me
Hard as hell to make
Fell in love with it in London at "the Prince Albert carvery" Perfect
But my own attempts ended up in the trashcan 80 percent of the time
- February 21, 2014 at 10:18 AM
- Silly Ninja said...
I enjoy your blog so much I actually sit through the boring pre-video advertisements even when I don't have to. Happy to have found you chef. Keep up the good work.
- February 21, 2014 at 7:24 PM
- procrastineer said...
Chef John, I think AK is referring to the political unrest in Ukraine capital Kiev.
- February 22, 2014 at 5:49 AM
- The Dago by the Lake said...
Made this lat night. It was amazing! Turned out perfectly!
- February 22, 2014 at 7:28 PM
- Clarmindcontrol said...
Chef, I'll be hosting a dinner party for 15 people this week and I'm considering Chicken Kiev for the main course.
Do you think the end result would suffer if I already fried them in the (late) afternoon and put them in the oven later that night? - February 24, 2014 at 12:47 AM
- Chef John said...
Trust me, you do not want to do chicken kiev for 15. Just too risky, and that's a lot to go into the oven at one time. Maybe you can fry ahead, but never tried!
- February 24, 2014 at 3:28 AM
- The Dago by the Lake said...
When I was a kid Chicken Kiev was the fanciest thing I'd ever seen! Over the years I have tried and FAILED to recreate this dish. UNTIL NOW! I made this Friday night and it turned out perfectly. Be careful as you pound out the chicken, one of mine had a couple of small holes but I was able to save it in the breading process. I actually broke out my deep fryer to assure golden goodness. Paired it with a Viognier... yeah that's right, I'm grown and fancy now!
- February 24, 2014 at 1:54 PM
- Clarmindcontrol said...
Thanks chef, we've opted to do your chimichanga recipe from a while back :)
- February 26, 2014 at 6:00 AM
- Unknown said...
Chef John,
Another BANGER! I followed your steps to the tee and I had tremendous results...my wife and I are still burping up garlic! HAHA...ok maybe TMI. But this was an awesome recipe once again. I did all the prep work beforehand...did the butter, put it in the fridge and then beat the chicken, wrapped it and put it in the fridge for maybe 2 hours until my wife got home. Followed the rest of steps from the freezer on after that and had no issues. I did add the tarragon and chives which I loved! I was very proud to complete the recipe with no leakage and also have the requisite explosion of herb butter when finished. I served this with mashed cauliflower and broccoli. Winner winner chicken dinner! Thanks again! - February 27, 2014 at 10:51 PM
- Chef John said...
Sounds great, thanks!
- February 27, 2014 at 11:05 PM
- VictoriaG said...
Chef John,
Just made this for dinner tonight for my boyfriend an I. Followed the recipe to the T, and one word, delicious! Simply delicious. What a foody satisfying recipe. I will be making this again soon. Thank you for great recipe.
Victoria - February 28, 2014 at 9:25 PM
- VictoriaG said...
Chef John,
Made this tonight for dinner for my boyfriend and I. Followed the recipe to the T, and one word, delicious! Simply delicious. What a foody satisfying recipe. I will be making this again soon. Thank you for the great recipe
Victoria - February 28, 2014 at 9:28 PM
- Unknown said...
Chef John,
I love your food blog and have many recipes I have on my to-do list yet. With that said....
If I wanted to make these ahead of time and freeze them, when would the best time be to freeze them? Before frying them or after they've partially (or fully) cooked?
I have a busy household, so making things ahead is great for me.
Thank you for such a wonder blog and easy to follow recipes.
Maria - March 5, 2014 at 6:30 PM
- Chef John said...
Sorry, but never tried! It would work to freeze before frying, but then you'd have to thaw to fry.
- March 6, 2014 at 12:39 AM
- Chef John said...
Sorry, but never tried! It would work to freeze before frying, but then you'd have to thaw to fry.
- March 6, 2014 at 12:39 AM
- Chef John said...
Sorry, but never tried! It would work to freeze before frying, but then you'd have to thaw to fry.
- March 6, 2014 at 12:39 AM
- jandres8 said...
Chef John! Made this 2 nights ago and it was great! It did take me longer to prep but, totally worth it! I was afraid I'd mess it up some how but I followed the steps exactly and it worked out fine!! Because of your videos I'm constantly trying new things! Thank you!
- March 28, 2014 at 5:14 AM
- Unknown said...
Thank you so much for your great videos! I have just tried making Chicken Kiev and it turned on to be so delicious. Looking forward to trying more of your recipes...on and love your sense of humor! FYI I did give you credit for recipe on our site...here is a link if you are interested to take a look. http://flavorshades.com/2014/03/chicken-kiev/
- March 28, 2014 at 10:30 PM
- Stephie said...
Hey- Can Chef John or someone explain the the proportions for Chicken Kiev? In the ingredients it says 4 (8oz chicken breast) so 32oz of chicken? However in the video Chef says put half the butter on one of the chicken breast? Do I have my quantities wrong? When I made this there was sooo much chicken and not that nice pocket like in the video.
- June 21, 2014 at 5:57 AM
- Chef John said...
Not sure I understand the question, but you have 4 large breast (8-oz each), and you have your butter mixture which you divide equally between the 4 breasts. Each breast gets about 1 1/2 tbsps of butter.
- June 21, 2014 at 12:45 PM
- Al said...
Tried this today, had some guests over. It turned out AMAZING! Everybody loved it! Will definitely be making this again. Thank you so much for your effort in sharing this recipe :) Cheers! Aliya
- August 20, 2014 at 5:41 PM
- Anna T said...
We made this yesterday, I was TERRIFIED... mostly because I've never deep fried on the stove before, but also because I was worried they wouldn't be done enough. The chicken was exactly 8oz each, one ended up being more of a mushroom top shape, the other a baseball. Baseball had some slight pink in it at the end, mushroom top was perfect. And they both exploded with such great flavour! I added some slivered basil into my herb butter because I had some fresh stuff. Out of this world. Thanks chef!
Pics: http://i.imgur.com/HgjUjdg.jpg
(I'm no food photographer!) - September 19, 2014 at 7:58 PM
- stine said...
Made it today. You are. A genius chef john.
it worked out so well and not a drop of butter was spilled before the knife entered the meat. Used 6oz chicken breasts and it was not dry at all.
So happy I went with your recipe and not one where you just cut a pocket and bread it - October 25, 2014 at 3:51 PM
- Unknown said...
Hi Chef John,
I was wondering if we can keep the chicken rolled in the butter in the refrigerator over night (instead of the freezer). - November 24, 2014 at 3:10 PM
- Chef John said...
The freezer makes them really firm and easy to bread, so no butter escapes while they cook. Never tried with the freezer, so not sure!
- November 24, 2014 at 3:47 PM
- Unknown said...
I'd like to try this for my Christmas dinner (about 12 people). My question is, can I make them the day before and what is he best way to reheat them?
- December 3, 2014 at 12:54 AM
- Chef John said...
Sorry, but you can't really reheat these! But you can make the day ahead, and cook the next day.
- December 3, 2014 at 3:22 AM
- Ana M. Araoz said...
Chef John, followed this recipe word for word including the sprinkle of salt and cayenne on top and it was sesational. I served it with creamy mashed potatoes and corn on the cob. Keep your ideas, humor going,��love it all. Anand
- March 12, 2015 at 8:40 PM
- Unknown said...
I actually made this and my fiance loved it so much he wants it to be our first meal when we move in our new place so thank u so much for your amazing recipes
- January 23, 2016 at 1:26 AM
- Unknown said...
If there is people out there, who simply couldn't wrap the chicken round, like me, whether you didn't pound it right, or for whatever reason, it really is fine, just stick a toothpick the secure it and cook it like usual! I have one that wrapped nicely and one that just wouldn't marry their ends together, I secure it with toothpick and cooked it, it still came out perfectly moist and delicious! Don't worry about a little garlic butter leaking as well, it really didn't make much of a difference :) Just make sure you keep that toothpicked one to yourself and that you take the toothpick out before you start eating!
Hope chef John won't cringe at my stupid suggestion, but for a person who clearly is not talented in cooking like me, you need to try this, even if you screw up some parts, it could still turns out amazing! - March 3, 2016 at 4:56 PM
- Unknown said...
Chef John, Wonderful recipe. Question: the video shows 2 chicken breast halves, the written recipe calls for four. Is the recipe with 2-3 cloves garlic, 2 teaspoons parsley and 6 T. of butter enough for 4 or 2?
- April 16, 2016 at 7:01 PM
- Unknown said...
Delicious! I've tried to make Kiev's a handful of times using much more complicated methods and they have been underwhelming, your method was much simpler and tastier.
I made 2 and used chicken thigh 'cause that's what I had on hand, which meant less surface area and a small amount of leakage - but it didn't matter, they were perfectly succulent, crispy and delicious.
Served with some basic mash potato which sucked up any extra garlic butter, was devine. - October 14, 2017 at 8:36 AM
- Diana said...
I have been to Kiev several times but I have never seen this dish there. I made it today. A lot of work! It came out good but I had to bake it for 40 me. Thanks for the recipe and great videos!
- January 16, 2018 at 11:23 PM
- Unknown said...
Very good! I started with two quite thick boneless chicken breasts (about a pound each) and halved each horizontally so I had 4 approximately 8oz pieces. I had trouble pounding them to be as flat as they appeared to be in the video, and ended up with a hole in one, so it could not be used. Still, they came together. All the while I was thinking, surely these will fall apart and the butter will leak out, but no, they held together.
It's hard to know when they are done. An instant read thermometer did not show them at ideal chicken temperature, but they were brown and a bit of butter was sizzling at the bottom, so I took them out and let them sit a while. They were perfect. - March 11, 2018 at 3:45 PM
- Strange Fruit said...
Think of the words 'whistle' and 'trestle' when you pronounce the word 'pestle' and you can stop pronouncing it wrong.
- August 12, 2018 at 11:18 PM


text:
Also, Juan Castro goes 2-for-4 and Brad Ausmus goes 2-for-5. The bench continues to make Joe Torre look like a genius.
photos by David Zalubowski/AP
Random rantings and ravings about the Los Angeles Dodgers, written by a small consortium of rabid Dodger fans. With occasional comments on baseball, entertainment, pop culture, and life in general.
Also, Juan Castro goes 2-for-4 and Brad Ausmus goes 2-for-5. The bench continues to make Joe Torre look like a genius.
photos by David Zalubowski/AP
The Beard. It's gotta be the beard.
San Diego is still losing, yes?
2 on 0 outs for the Pads in the top of the 9th. ugh.
Arizona 6 - San Diego 4
9th inning
San Fran 4 - Atlanta 0
8th inning
no out, bases juiced for the pads
Bases loaded, 0 outs. 6-4 Arizona, but not for long.
Hey, I may have missed the Dwight Howard - Carmelo Anthony "Most Valuable Puppets" commercial. Can anyone give me a link?
--CEO, Reebok
In the Padres game, MSB reached first after being hit by the pitch.
How does a pitcher hit MSB???!!! The target is too small!
GIDP, 6-5 AZ with a man on third and (obviously) two out. Kouzmanoff up
Admittedly it is pretty cool to see "Tony Gwynn scores" for the Padres on gameday
KK is fouling 'em off here
In play, out(s)
SD's streak is over. 6-5 snakes
Can the Padres please start to suck again?
Kouzmanoff ends the day 0-for-5 and is batting .231 from the cleanup spot
Kouzmanoff is a big bust.
the padres are a streaky team, im not too worried about them.
I hate Milwaukee.
On other news, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have applied to become a National League team. Their new name is to be the No Longer American Los Angeles Angels Still from Anaheim, but Garden Grove is looking better all the time.
rbnlaw, thats a mouthful!
Did anyone notice, the last bobblehead giveaway will be Matt Kemp on August 19.
really? the finally named who it was. awesome gotta get some tickets.
sweet, that further ensures Kemp won't be traded
No picture yet on the Dodger website.
4/2 vs. AZ (L, 1-2): AC, Sax
4/17 vs. NYM (L, 6-8): Sax
5/1 vs. PHI (W, 13-4): Sax
5/13 vs. SD (W, 4-2): Sax
5/30 vs. WSH (W, 9-3): Sax
7/5 vs. PIT (W, 6-4): Sax
8/30 vs. AZ (W, 7-0): Sax
8/31 vs. ATL (L, 7-8): Sax
9/22 vs. SF (L, 1-5): Sax
9/30 @ SF (L, 1-2): Sax

subset: commoncrawl


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The New Corvette Station Wagon? [PHOTO]
I'm an avid fan of the Corvette. I remember how excited I got when the first photos of the 2014 Corvette Stingray were unveiled. It's a classic, an American muscle car with no equal.
I was quite leery, to say the least, when I heard that Corvette will consider making the Stingray Aerowagon, a mix of rear cargo, hatchback, and station wagon, and sports car if there is enough interest. Corvette customizers Callaway Cars has announced it may produce an add-on kit for the 2014 Corvette Stingray that would create what it calls the Aerowagon.
Corvette meets station wagon? That could be one of the end-time signs.
Justin Hyde from| Motoramic writes:
Chevrolet never built the 1954 Corvette Nomad wagon that Harley Earl built for General Motors' Motorama traveling road show, but ever since a few hearty after-market designers have attempted to graft a taller hatch onto the Vette's rear flanks to form a proper two-door shooting brake (British for "sports car station wagon") — often with questionable results.
Callaway says its modifications would use a custom carbon-fiber bodywork and glass to the Vette, with minimal impact on its performance or mileage.
The kit would retail for approximately $15,000.
Well, maybe my wife would let me get one if I let her use it as a muscle-car-grocery-getter-kids-picker-upper.
All things considered, I don't hate it. Just don't tell my golfing buddies.
Source: yahoo.com


text:
Now go grab a pot of coffee and a bowl of popcorn. This is gonna be a long one.
Back in 1978, when I was but a wee lad of 8 (the smarter among you can probably guess my birth year if you're good at math) a book came out by a guy named George Fox. It was called Amok.
Even at that tender young age, I'd recently read Jaws (and you wonder why I'm a thriller writer?) and I picked up Amok at my local library in their paperback exchange rack. I selected it because of the cover; two muscular arms swinging a bloody sword, and the tagline: The blood-chilling bestseller more terrifying than JAWS.
I was reminded of that book while reading the latest Douglas Preston nonsense in The Bookseller this morning.
Speaking of non-sequitors, I recently came upon Paul Biba, an attorney and the former editor-in-chief of Teleread. Paul has an amazingly comprehensive Twitter feed. If you're at all interested in publishing, ebooks, and/or the laws that effect them, follow Paul. I asked Paul a few questions, which we'll get to in a moment.
This is coming off the heels of an exchange that several authors, myself included, had with Philip Jones of The Bookseller, where we tried in vain to get him to act like a journalist.
How does all of this tie together? Pretty well, actually. Let's start with The Bookseller "story" about Preston. Their unedited article in biased bold font, my replies in common-sense normal font.
Campaign group Authors United will continue its "efforts to persuade" the Antitrust Division of the Justice Department in the US to look into Amazon's market practices, saying there are "still many open questions about Amazon's market power".
Joe sez: Amok was based on real-life events, about a Japanese soldier on a small island in the Philippines 30 years after WWII, who was never told the war ended. He's called Amok because he keeps running amok, killing people, even though the Axis had already lost the war.
You can see why I remembered this book while reading this article about Preston.
The group was set up by American author Douglas Preston during the dispute between Amazon and Hachette Book Group (HBG) in America over e-book terms, which was resolved last week.
Joe sez: Douglas Preston, who insisted he had never taken sides in the Hachette/Amazon dispute, and who doesn't seem to know that this dispute has been resolved, is still fighting the war in his head, and apparently trying to use Authors United as a bludgeon to get his way; namely, to get media attention to convince the DOJ to overlook 120 years of antitrust law and go after Amazon.
In a letter to the writers who signed petitions trying to persuade Amazon to agree terms with HBG - including names such as James Patterson, Stephen King, Tracy Chevalier, Sophie Hannah and Philip Pullman - Preston wrote that the deal between the two companies, which allows HBG to set consumer prices for its books, was "not unreasonable" as he understood it.
Joe sez: No deal is "unreasonable" if both parties willingly signed it. Besides, Hachette practically bragged about the deal.
"The new agreement will benefit Hachette authors for years to come," said Hachette Book Group CEO Michael Pietsch, in a statement. "It gives Hachette enormous marketing capability with one of our most important bookselling partners."
Preston, apparently licking his wounds and stuck in a confusion bubble because Authors United accomplished exactly zero, seems to still be trying to wrap his head around the fact that the war is over. Hachette got what it thinks it wants (the ability to price ebooks high), Amazon has financially incentivized Hachette to keep ebook prices lower, and the authors Preston was purporting to protect (remember them, Doug?) are now out of the line of fire and no doubt happy that their ebooks are once again discoverable on Amazon, albeit at a high price set by their publisher that most readers won't be willing to pay.
And Preston's comment? That the deal is "not unreasonable". Which is the most unreasonable thing he's said on this issue, and that's saying something.
"I want to thank all of you for your courage in facing down Amazon," he continued. "Each one of you risked retaliation and potential damage to your career to sign our letters. As a Hachette author, I want especially to thank those many non-Hachette authors who had little to gain and a great deal to lose by taking a public stand."
Joe sez: It was certainly brave of multi-millionaires like Preston, King, Patterson, and Child to speak out against Amazon, where they risked losing...
What did they have to lose, exactly?
What did any of the AU signatories have to lose?
Did they fear the wrath of Amazon?
True, AU's incorrect stance was that Amazon had targeted authors. Maybe they actually thought, by speaking out against Amazon, they'd also become targets of that nefarious, illegal activity known in hushed circles as capitalism. Maybe Amazon, irritated by their bold actions, would do something reprehensible, like sell their books at their publishers' MRSP, instead of at a discount.
Or maybe Amazon would do nothing, because it doesn't target authors. Which is what happened; nothing. But medals all around anyway.
But Preston said the settlement did not change the problem that "one corporation now controls more than 50% of the book market in the United States -- a corporation, moreover, that in our view used its market dominance in an irresponsible and destructive way".
Joe sez: So Preston, who insisted AU was there to protect authors, now wants AU to protect the industry from a corporation that sells more books than anyone else.
"They sell too many books! Make them stop!" says an author who makes his living selling books.
What does this lapse in logic remind me of? Oh yeah, my old post Presumed Inane, where former Authors Guild prez Scott Turow explained why we should fear Amazon.
The Big 6 were worried Amazon would no longer pay them $15 per ebook, so they forced Amazon to take a deal where Amazon only paid them $7 an ebook.
Bask in the logic of millionaire status-quo legacy authors.
He confirmed that Authors United would still be pursuing its aim, announced earlier this year, of asking the Justice Department to open an inquiry into Amazon.
Joe sez: Dear Doug Preston. I'd like you to sell my ebooks on your website, www.prestonchild.com. You'll sell them for $12.99 each, and you get to keep 30%. You'll do this because I said so. If you boycott or sanction the sale of my books on your site, or try in any way to make them hard for your readers to find, I'm telling the DOJ on you.
Preston said: "There are still many open questions about Amazon's market power. Those questions are best explored, not in an atmosphere of confrontation and high emotion, as we have just passed through, but in a reflective way that considers the long-term economic health of the book industry and the ability of authors to earn a living -- as well as the larger issues of freedom of speech, diversity and healthy competition in the marketplace.
Joe sez: "There are still many open questions about Authors United's actual intentions, since they've completely abandoned their original 'we take no sides we just care about authors' stance, and switched focus to what we knew all along: protecting their corporate masters' paper distribution oligopoly. Those questions are best explored by using the media, via parrotting lapdogs such as The Bookseller, who also have an anti-Amazon bias and will repeat whatever we tell them without any opposing views."
"For this reason, we believe it is vital to continue our effort to persuade the Antitrust Division of the Justice Department to look into Amazon's market practices. Our letter, and our behind-the-scenes work, is well in process and we feel it makes sense to see it through."
Joe sez: Okay, I'm pretty sure Preston has no clue how antitrust law works, but we'll get to that in a moment.
First, I want to point out that the above text in bold is the entirety of The Bookseller piece.
Notice anything odd? I mean, beyond how silly it is.
How about the article's singular focus on reporting what Preston is doing, without even bothering to look at any other side of this situation?
Who could The Bookseller have talked with to round out this story? I can think of any number of authors who have publicly sided against Preston. Amazon might not comment, but at least The Bookseller could have said they tried to reach Amazon. How about asking Preston himself some tough questions, such as why he insisted he hasn't been taking sides and now obviously is? Or why he seems less than elated that the negotiations are over? Or if he thinks his silly organization made a difference?
How about asking a reader what they think? Or getting the opinion of a lawyer versed in antitrust law? Or asking anyone at all anything at all, to offer at least the semblance of an alternative opinion?
The Bookseller tends to do this a lot. So much so that on a previous piece, a few authors decided to point this very thing out in the comments.
The Bookseller's editorial editor, Philip Jones, replied to many of the comments. The piece can be summed up thusly:
Amazon Anonymous, a campaign group, doesn't want people to shop at Amazon because Amazon treats workers, society, and other businesses unfairly, and Amazon doesn't pay their fair share of taxes.
That's pretty much it. Go read it if you want to, but there isn't much more. Where it gets interesting is the comments.
Here is the whole amusing exchange. I have added cool sound FX and action verbs in parentheses, because I can.
David Gaughran: What is the average salary of a Waterstones employee? How much does Waterstones pay all those students they hire for Christmas? How many unpaid interns are employed by publishers? What's the average starting salary for someone in publishing? What is the pay like in all those book printing facilities that publishers own in Mexico, India, China, and Indonesia?
Philip Jones: David, why don't you find out the answer to these questions, begin your own campaign based on fact rather than insinuation, gather 55,000 signatures from those supporting you, and then we can report it. With objectivity.
David Gaughran: You *choose* to report on Amazon's pay rates, not on those of other companies in publishing. You *choose* to report on Amazon's tax affairs, but not those of Apple or Harlequin.
I think it's quite clear what's going on here.
(twisting the knife!)
Philip Jones: We have run plenty of pieces on publishers' pay-rates, and for a long time partnered on a dedicated Salary Survey, run by BookCareers.com. When their new survey is published, we will run a piece again. Incidentally, the average starting salary for someone coming into publishing is about £17k, widely regarded as too low. Feel free to do your own research into this, it's an important issue. Amazon Anonymous is important for different reasons, which is why we *chose* to report on it. I recommend anyone reading these comments to check out your own site David where pieces entitled, "Publishing Is Rotten To The Core", rub along with posts on why "Amazon Makes Life Easier For Authors of Historical & Literary Fiction" or "Why Amazon's Purchase of Goodreads Is A Good Thing . . ."
So yes, I too think it's quite clear what's going on here.
David Gaughran: You have written plenty on Amazon's tax affairs, but I haven't seen a single article on Apple's tax affairs or Harlequin's tax affairs.
I wrote about both.
And it's interesting you should mention my "Publishing Is Rotten To The Core" piece because it talks about widespread exploitation of authors - something The Bookseller also never covers.
One part of that article dealt with the corporate structures Harlequin uses to reduce its tax bill - as it used those some corporate vehicles to reduce the effective royalty rate it was paying a large group of authors to the low single digits. I don't remember an article in The Bookseller on that either.
Another part of that article dealt with Penguin Random House-owned Author Solutions and the huge scamming that has taken place there. I don't remember an article in The Bookseller covering that story either.
But keep pretending you are objective.
(super-punch kazowie!)
Philip Jones: In both the Harlequin and Author Solutions situations there are legal cases pending in the States, and we will report on these as they progress. We have written plenty about Author Solutions as you know since you also left a number of comments under those pieces too. Our original investigation into Amazon's tax arrangements and the Guardian's follow-up helped examine the way international conglomerates exploit tax loopholes, with subsequent pieces written about Apple, Google and even Pearson. I'm just sorry that we don't meet your exacting standards in giving Amazon a pass at every opportunity.
(unfounded opinion ad hominem!)
David Gaughran: It's a hilarious act of projection when Philip Jones insinuates that anyone disagreeing with him is a shill. The constant drumbeat of anti-Amazon propaganda emanating from The Bookseller is clear to anyone with half a brain. And I'm a little concerned that the editor of The Bookseller doesn't appear to know how Google works.
Nevertheless, unlike Philip Jones has done himself, I will actually engage with the points he has made.
Amazon uses a variety of corporate structures and vehicles to reduce the amount of taxes it pays. These methods are legal. Whether you think they are ethical or fair or not is up to you, but they are legal.
These structures were pioneered by Apple in the 1980s, and are used by most large international corporations (including those in publishing). One of the most popular is the Double Irish, and that's the primary reason Dublin has become such a tech hub with companies like Intel, Microsoft, Google (my former employer), Twitter, Facebook etc. all setting up their Euro headquarters there.
If you are going to start boycotting companies for using these corporate structures, then you need to stop using the internet and using any major bank. Which is just one of the reasons why this boycott is stupid and hypocritical.
However, I'm not saying nothing should be done, or that these companies shouldn't pay more tax. In my opinion they should, but this requires governmental (and, in fact, intergovernmental) action.
Philip Jones knows all this because I have emailed him on successive occasions to explain all this to him. And yet every article The Bookseller writes ignores all the other companies who use the same (legal) methods as Amazon to reduce their tax bill. And every article repeats the fallacy that corporation tax is somehow based on sales (rather than profits).
It's revealing that making the above argument defines me in Philip's mind as an Amazon shill.
(boom goes the dynamite!)
Philip Jones: I've no idea what you are talking about David. Who have I accused of being a shill?
Also, both you and Joe seem intent on building the same straw man here. The Amazon Free Challenge is an ethical campaign. There is a difference between what is legal and what is ethical. Amazon Anonymous, as far as I can tell, is asking consumers to think about that. Perhaps when they do, governments will act. In the meantime, as consumers we have a choice about where we spend our money.
You've emailed me about Amazon's tax avoidance on many occasions, yes, and the last time I sent you the PDF of our original report, which examined in forensic detail how Amazon minimises profits and therefore its tax. I've heard nothing from you on this since, certainly no attempt to critique that piece. Your continuing to attempt to imply that we don't understand how corporation tax is applied is ridiculous.
And again, fyi, the key paragraph is available in my comment below, as published by the Guardian in 2012: "According to the SEC filings, UK sales that year were between £2.3bn and £3.2bn. Amazon in the US has earned an average 3.5% profit margin over the past three years. UK sales over the past three years, according to the SEC filings, were between £7.6bn and £10.3bn. If the same profit margin was applied, this would have generated taxable profits of £266m-£360m and yielded notional UK corporation tax of up to £100m.
However,in the nine years between 2003 and 2011, the UK-registered company has reported a cumulative net tax bill of just £3m – of which £1.9m was incurred in 2011."
By all means continue to engage with Emily, Amazon Anonymous and their 55,000 signatories about why the "boycott is stupid and hypocritical". We'll continue to report their activities.
I responded more fully below to other points raised.
(Joe sez: The Amazon tax avoidence meme was refuted by these two links proved by the palindromish Talin Nilat:
Jones didn't reply.)
Joe Konrath: Doesn't Amazon pay workers 30% more than other retailers, and offers them up to $5000 to quit?
Is that not the same in the UK? Was this even checked? Was Amazon asked to comment?
David brought up many good points. In an article about low wages, how does Amazon compare to others?
Do you pay extra taxes, Caroline and Phil? Or do you pay as little as the law allows? I claim my wife and son as dependents... does that mean I'm not paying my fair share? Are they not paying their fair share?
If the Bookseller believes giving one-sided coverage of an anti-Amazon group is beneficial to its readers, can you tell us why? The View From Nowhere isn't good journalism.
Philip Jones: I don't pay extra taxes, I pay the taxes that are due (as far as I know). Amazon doesn't, and doesn't try to.
We examined this first in 2012, and other newspapers have examined it since.
Oddly, others reached the same conclusion, as did MP Margaret Hodge.
It's wider than Amazon though, I accept that.
Amazon's working practices in a range of facilities across the world have been well documented by better commentators than you or I Joe. Here though we are reporting on the activities of an Amazon campaign group. But you'd rather we walk on by because there isn't also a story about an anti-publishing group to report on today?
Amazon never comments publicly, as you know. I am more than happy to to take a piece or comment from Amazon at any time about the issues we raise in The Bookseller.
(lazy research!)
Joe Konrath: So the UK is purposely allowing Amazon to avoid paying taxes--in flagrant violation of the law--while other large companies do pay? Have you followed the legal action and proceedings? Or do laws exist that allow Amazon and others to pay taxes on profits rather than gross sales? Last I checked, I could deduct my expenses on my taxes and only pay on what I net. Is it like that in the UK? Retailers only pay taxes on profits and deduct expenses?
I'm glad Amazon's working practices had been well documented, and each of them handily linked to in this article for easy reference.
Just to be clear--if I raise $7000 to urge people to start pressuring The Bookseller to actually do some reporting, would you cover that story?
Do you recall the six ethical standards of journalism? Hint: truthfulness, accuracy, objectivity, impartiality, fairness and public accountability.
Was this piece objective and impartial? Was it fair? Where are the numbers and data that back-up the claims AA is making? You know, like actually reporting the wages and benefits and conditions at Amazon? It wouldn't have even required digging--Caroline could have asked Emily, who no doubt has reams of information showing how bad Amazon is.
Where's the counter-viewpoint from Amazon customers or writers? How about interviewing an Amazon employee that enjoys working there? Do any? Is there a single happy Amazon employee in the UK? What is a Living Wage, how many in the UK earn it? How many companies in the UK provide it?
I'm not a reporter. I'm not a journalist. I'm just a blogger, and I make zero dollars doing this. But I still shoot for higher standards than this article does.
Why didn't you comment on the link I offered, showing Amazon pays employees 30% higher than competitors, and also offers them a bonus to quit?
"Amazon never comments publicly, as you know."
I know. Never. Except for the many comments it made during the Hachette negotiations, as you know. If you forgot, I'll provide a few links:
(facts attack!)
Philip Jones: Of course, Joe, sorry, we are all wrong, you are right. Let me call the Amazon PR for a comment right now . . . LOL
Joe Konrath: Nice job refuting all of the points I made, Philip.
(sarcasm punch!)
Barry Eisler: Hi Philip, coming here late and probably after that magic "egos have already engaged" moment we all have to watch out for, but for what it's worth, I think all David's trying to say is that your article would have been more useful to your readers if you had provided some context.
I'm happy to assume for the sake of argument that the activities of this group Amazon Anonymous are newsworthy — that's something reasonable people can differ on and that probably isn't subject to proof one way or another. But as a Bookseller reader, immediately I wonder if the group's accusations have merit. And one relatively easy and straightforward way of addressing that issue is to compare Amazon's treatment of its workers with the treatment offered by other, similarly situated retailers. Maybe other retailers treat their workers far better than Amazon does, which would suggest the AA accusations have real merit. Or maybe Amazon's treatment is on a par with, or significantly better than, those of its competitors, in which case one might reasonably wonder what is really motivating AA. But your readers can't come to informed conclusions about any of this if you, as a journalist, simply report "a group said this and did that" and don't attempt to provide some context.
I think anyone who's ever read my posts on publishing or heard my keynotes knows I think on balance Amazon has been a force for good in publishing. But I'm not suggesting you add context that supports my views — just that you add context that illuminates whatever is actually going on. It might be that Amazon treats its workers exceptionally badly. If so, as a Bookseller reader, I want to know that — and without any context, I can't.
Or, to put it another way, if you had provided some context, would your article likely have been more illuminating and useful to your readers? If the answer is yes, why not try to provide a little of that context in the future?
What's turned David Streitfeld into such an embarrassment for the New York Times http://barryeisler.blogspot.com/2014/10/new-york-times-rebukes-streitfeld-for.html isn't that he has viewpoints. It's that he's become so blinded by those viewpoints he's not able to see context. That's dangerous for a journalist, and maybe something worth considering.
(on the nose!)
Philip Jones: Absolutely Barry, and to your last point maybe those vocal commentators who go to great lengths to point out how Amazon has been a force for good, while invariably trying to shout down (sorry, fisk) any commentary that strays from that orthodoxy could also consider how dangerous this is.
And, really. Sometimes a news story is just a news story.
Barry Eisler: I don't get it... how can thoroughly and carefully responding to an article point by point be understood as an attempt to "shout down" an article? Do you feel that anyone here is trying to shout you down by engaging your points in the comments?
And even if we assume for the sake of argument that a thorough, careful response is some sort of "shout down" and therefore worthy of censure, what would that have to do with your own journalistic standards? Why excuse your own shortcomings because you might be able to identify them elsewhere? Why not strive for the best performance you're capable of based on your own ideals?
And respectfully, "a news story isn't a news story" isn't really a reason. I don't even know what it would mean, beyond being a fairly weak excuse for a lack of journalistic examination and context that at best results in something akin to stenography. I believe you can do better and hope you'll agree!
(victory cigar!)
Joe Konrath: So Barry asked you politely to add some context, and you didn't add any.
Sometime propaganda is just propaganda. When you can't or refuse to defend it, that's your first hint.
(insult to injury!)
Philip Jones: Here is some background for y'all.
(much needed rebuttal!)
A BBC report into its Panorama investigation into Amazon's working conditions is available here:
Amazon workers face 'increased risk of mental illness'
An earlier report about union activity here:
GMB union holds protests at Amazon sites
And here if you are interested are the 61,900,000 links Google provided me in 41 seconds about Amazon's working conditions, and concern around that.
I'm not saying all 61,900,000 are stories about how badly Amazon treats its workers, but I scrolled through more than 30 pages of this stuff before the reports (some dating back into the past decade) started to thin out.
And here by contrast is a Google search for working conditions at Waterstones, which brings up no adverse comment about Waterstones working conditions.
Ditto, Bertrams, and Gardners (fyi, two UK wholesalers)
Here is a link to a report published by Ethical Consumer on Amazon Anonymous:
And from that report: the campaign, which has backing from a range for organisations including Ethical Consumer, the GMB union and UK Uncut, aims to illustrate the 'human cost of Amazon's business model.'
There is more on the AA website (www.amazonanonymous.org/) which also contains testimony from current and past Amazon employees here:
And here are links to The Bookseller's previous reports on the same campaign:
Note the line in many of these stories: The Amazon press office has yet to respond to a request for comment.
Finally, here is the original piece the Guardian published about Amazon's tax situation in the UK, based on The Bookseller's much more detailed report (happy to send a PDF of this to anyone who emails me, as I have already have to David Gaughran).
"According to the SEC filings, UK sales that year were between £2.3bn and £3.2bn. Amazon in the US has earned an average 3.5% profit margin over the past three years. UK sales over the past three years, according to the SEC filings, were between £7.6bn and £10.3bn. If the same profit margin was applied, this would have generated taxable profits of £266m-£360m and yielded notional UK corporation tax of up to £100m.
However, in the nine years between 2003 and 2011, the UK-registered company has reported a cumulative net tax bill of just £3m – of which £1.9m was incurred in 2011.
The Guardian asked Amazon why it paid no UK corporation tax on the £3bn it takes out of the economy. The company declined to answer any specific questions on its tax affairs."
Now having provided the context to a news story about the latest development in a long-running consumer ethical campaign about Amazon, perhaps we can we get back to the "real story" of discussing The Bookseller's news values?
(link wars!)
Joe Konrath: Here's how a discussion should work, Philip. Rather than ignore the links that others have posted here, like you've done, I'll actually follow the links you provided and comment on them.
Startling conclusion: Menial labor sucks. And the BBC needed someone to go undercover to reach that conclusion. Alarming.
I've worked in factories. I've worked construction. And I was paid less than Amazon pays.
How about this next link?
So a union is protesting? Isn't that what unions are supposed to do? Other than collect dues and force companies to seek cheaper labor in other countries, I mean. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trade_union#Criticisms
Amazon's reply to the protest?
In a statement, Amazon said it employs more than 5,000 permanent employees across the UK as well as thousands of temporary staff, adding it paid "all applicable taxes in every jurisdiction that it operates within".
"We are proud of providing our associates with a safe and positive working environment, which includes on-the-job training and opportunities for career progression," the firm said.
The retailer offered its employees a "competitive package" including performance-related pay, with permanent employees also offered benefits including healthcare and a personal pension plan, it added.
That's a truly gripping piece of journalism you linked to, Philip. Union protests, Amazon releases a statement.
Actually, sarcasm aside, the article is fascinating in two ways. First, because you insisted Amazon never responds, and you just linked to one of their responses. Irony is funny. Second, that BBC article presented an opposing viewpoint, which this BookSeller article does not. That's why we're having this back-n-forth. If you presented this article like the BBC presented theirs, this comment section would be empty.
Next you compare two Google searches, which somehow convinces you beyond a reasonable doubt that Amazon is bad and Waterstones is awesome.
Nicely done. Next time I get a speeding ticket and go to court, I'll say, "But your honor, speed limits don't make any sense. I Googled 'autobahn' and found 3 million sites praising the lack of a speed limit in Germany."
I'll call the The Google Defense, where simply saying how many hits a search term gets determines ultimate truth.
Protesters demand Amazon pay a living wage. We get this all the time in the States. My reply is always the same: Protesters need to vote politicians into office who will raise minimum wage. In my state of Illinois, voters just did that, and minimum wage was raised to $10 an hour. Democracy in action, except... it's still less than Amazon paid that BBC undercover nightshift guy in the above article.
Your next few links are more Amazon Anonymous stories.
Congrats! Another Bookseller "story" presenting only one side of an issue. And you wonder why you're accused of anti-Amazon bias?
One-sided again. No attempt to contact Amazon or get an opposing point of view. Go back and read those BBC links you posted. That's how journalists are supposed to write stories.
The "story" continues. Really, it's embarrassing how biased these pieces are. When a reporter only presents one side of an issue, that reporter is failing readers. Go upthread and look again for the six ethical standards all journalists need to adhere to. Because The Bookseller is failing miserably.
Let me also point something out. I think working in a warehouse sucks, and I think low wages suck, and I think huge corporations squeezing the lives out of menial labor workers is bad for the world. But we need to blame our own countries, our lawmakers, and ourselves for allowing these things to persist. As a rule, I like protests. They help coalesce public sentiment, so maybe the politicians start paying attention. When there are a group of people demanding to be paid more money, it's newsworthy. But let's see both sides of the issue. How many people does Amazon employ? How many new jobs has it created? How does it pay compared to other companies? How many people like working at Amazon,and appreciate the opportunities it has offered? Report the news, but present the whole story.
You repeating "Amazon is bad" over and over isn't the whole story. I'd argue it isn't a story at all. It's a biased agenda that is sloppily executed and unhelpful.
Now please, take a shot at all of the links others have posted in this thread.
(face the music!)
Philip Jones: Thanks for taking the time to go through them all Joe. Shame you spoil it in the penultimate paragraph. We do not repeat "Amazon is bad" over and over. We report on other people saying so, including campaign groups, unions, and BBC documentary makers.
(no difference!)
If you can't distinguish between news and commentary, then we all might as well go home.
(view from nowhere!)
If I wanted to write that Amazon was bad, I would do so in my Leader, or in a blog comment. I don't. It's not my view, and it's not the line The Bookseller takes.
I did not provide the Google links to show that Amazon was bad, and Waterstones was good - this is not play-group, I did it to show that the weight of reporting on this issue is focused on Amazon, and rightly so. The business has some serious questions to answer—partly because of the large numbers of workers it employs in low-skilled and low-paid positions and the opaque nature of its employment practices.
We've run more pointed pieces on publishers' distribution centres, too, http://www.thebookseller.com/news/agency-employment-concerns-raised-tbs, but I guess you missed those.
Reverse back to 2009/10, and you'll see a bunch of reports in The Bookseller about how 'bad' Waterstones' distribution had become. That was the issue of that day, just as Amazon is now a major focus of today.
Of course it is our duty to report the other side, I wish Amazon provided us with the kind of commentary to do that. There are, however, plenty of stories on this website reporting Amazon's positive work, including new distribution centres and new central London offices: job creation often backed by commentary from Amazon executives and MPs.
I'm sure some of these stories, often culled from press releases, also fail to meet your exacting template of what a news story should look like. But I don't see you (or Barry, or David) commenting on them, or giving me lessons about them.
The subject of this news story is Amazon Anonymous, and as I said to David, how about engaging with them and the 'ethical' questions they are raising about Amazon?
(David and I aren't reporters! That's your job! Zing!)
Joe Konrath: We do not repeat "Amazon is bad" over and over. We report on other people saying so, including campaign groups, unions, and BBC documentary makers.
"This rain has really ruined my day," says anti-precipitation activist Sunny Luverstone. "We want this rain to stop, because nobody likes it."
Is that newsworthy, too? If 5000 people were opposing rain, would that be worthy of an article?
If it was, would The Bookseller even think to add: "Rain, by the way, is necessary for humans to survive since it is essential for crops to grow".
I think not.
Of course it is our duty to report the other side, I wish Amazon provided us with the kind of commentary to do that.
And I wish you'd actually talk to an Amazon warehouse employee who has had a positive experience, or a lawmaker who passed the legislation that allows Amazon to sell everything through Luxembourg to minimize taxes, or the homeless person who didn't have a job but now does because Amazon employed them. If you self-identify as a journalist, act like one. Make some phone calls. Ferret out the story. Or else, as Barry said, you're just a stenographer. A stenographer with blatantly obvious bias.
The subject of the news story is Amazon Anonymous.
If the subject was "Alcoholics Anonymous" would you think to maybe, I dunno, interview an alcoholic? Or someone related to or effected by alcoholics? Or some doctors who can report on the damage alcohol does? Or some lawmakers who support the laws regarding alcohol?
Here's a "story" for you to "report":
"I think The Bookseller is biased against Amazon," says author JA Konrath. "Several other people agree with me."
Don't bother seeking out an opposing viewpoint (as if you'd bother anyway.) Just run it as is. It's news. Report it. And while you're at it, continue to ignore every point and link brought up in these comments.
Philip Jones: Thanks Joe, I think we are done here. Appreciate the comments as always.
Joe Konrath: And I appreciate your well-reasoned, thoughtful, detailed responses to the many points I've brought up.
I'm now off to watch paint dry, which is a better use of my time.
Joe sez: I want to thank all of you writers for your courage in facing down The Bookseller. Each one of you risked retaliation and potential damage to your career to comment in a public forum.
See what I did there? Sounds silly in that context, don't it?
So with the paint still wet on the "can't The Bookseller report both sides" appeal, The Stenographer--I mean The Bookseller--jots down Preston's latest nonsense without bothering to even try getting an opposing viewpoint.
If you didn't follow the above link to the view from nowhere, here's the gist:
A journalist who excludes relevant pieces of information from the set of true facts is telling a lie of omission. If the audience had all the missing data, it would reach a different conclusion.
What data is missing in the Preston piece? Does this missing data amount to bias?
The major effect of the view from nowhere leads large groups of people to make bad decisions. So is The Bookseller actually reporting the news, or by omitting any sort of objectivity implied by detailing contrary viewpoints, is it simply bias masquerading as journalism, which leads to many people getting the wrong impression and making bad decisions?
Reporting that Amazon Anonymous exists, without viewing Amazon Anonymous with a critical, objective eye, is doing readers a disservice. If all they're exposed to is biased nonsense, they begin to believe the nonsense.
But is Preston's nonsense really nonsense? Does Authors United have a good shot at encouraging a Justice Department investigation of Amazon? (And could The Bookseller have asked Preston about Hachette's previous encounter with the DOJ? Wan't that relevant? Isn't that newsworthy?)
Remember that attorney, Paul Biba, that I mentioned above? Let's talk to Paul...
Joe: You're a former a corporate attorney. Can you explain what an antitrust compliance program is?
Paul: Most, if not all, large corporations have ongoing training programs for their personnel in regards to legal matters. For example, I have taught courses in antitrust, sexual harassment, discrimination, occupational safety and health, and others. These courses are part of a company's internal compliance program to ensure that its employees comply with the law and are familiar with the penalties, both personal and corporate, that can arise from non-compliance with the law. For example, filling out a form, such as a required reporting of pollutant emissions, with false information can result in huge dollar penalties against a company and the employee involved has committed a felony and can go to jail. Employees need to know this.
Just as in other areas, antitrust training is given to employees so that they have some idea of what the laws mean and what they should not do. For example, don't have private meetings with competitors because this could lead to the implication that you are price fixing. This training has three aims: first, to prevent illegal action from taking place; second, to try to ensure that employees do not become personally liable for what they do; and finally, if an illegal act occurs, to demonstrate to the government that the company made a good-faith effort to prevent the act and so should not be penalized because of the employee's actions. In the antitrust area the courses I gave lasted about 2 hours and would be given every year, or every other year, to every management employee. Their attendance would be recorded in their personnel file.
Joe: What are some things that companies need to look out for so they don't run afoul with antitrust law?
Paul: As a practical matter the most common antitrust violation is that of competitors getting together to fix prices - just what the publishers did, in point of fact. The other antitrust violations are rather esoteric and don't occur very often. Avoiding this problem is very simple. Don't meet with competitors, don't discuss prices with them, etc. All pretty obvious.
Joe: Is Amazon a monopoly? A monopsony? Are either illegal? How would you categorize Amazon?
Paul: No, Amazon is not a monopoly. There are plenty of competitors in the book and ebook arena - B&N, Kobo, Smashwords, etc. If Amazon were a monopoly it would have put these guys out of business. A monopoly is NOT illegal. The illegality comes in GETTING the monopoly. If you get a monopoly by legitimate pricing techniques, unique product, good customer service, etc. then that is just fine. If you get the monopoly by predatory pricing or other illegal activity then that is what is illegal, not the monopoly per se.
Monopsony is not part of antitrust law. It is where there is a predominant buyer to the exclusion of others. This concept has been dredged up by commentators from the world of economics, and it may show that the user knows his economics and so he should be impressive, but it also shows that the user doesn't know much about legal stuff.
I would categorize Amazon as a typical large business that uses normal, everyday business practices, just like the businesses I have worked with all my life. What makes Amazon unusual are two things: first, they are so good at what they do. Second, in the publishing area, what they do is so different from that the publishing industry has done over the centuries that it is a complete mystery to those involved in the industry. I am continually amazed that the publishing industry is astonished by Amazon's activities. I've been to enough conferences with the top execs of the publishing companies to see that they somehow think that the publishing business is a special, unique thing that is unlike any other business in the world - and should be treated as such. Amazon doesn't buy this and so it has become the publishing industry's bugbear.
Joe: What is predatory pricing? Is Amazon engaging in predatory pricing?
Paul: Predatory pricing, to make it simple, is when you price a product so low that it drives competitors out of business. Generally, that means pricing below your cost. To be honest, this doesn't happen too often because doing it hurts the seller who has to have pretty big coffers to sustain it. Amazon is clearly not engaging in predatory pricing because one can see many other sellers selling the same stuff at similar prices. To be "predatory" Amazon would have to sell most, or all, of its books and ebooks at prices so low that no other company could possibly compete. This is clearly not happening.
On the whole predatory pricing is not a viable antitrust theory any more. This is because the Supreme Court has set a very high bar for proving it (because by lowering prices the consumer is actually benefited) and, as a practical matter, not many companies can afford to do it.
Joe: Is squeezing suppliers against antitrust law?
Paul: Absolutely not, unless the squeezing is done as part of a deliberate attempt to get a monopoly. If you are just squeezing to get profit - more power to you! This is another area where the insular hothouse of publishing astonishes me. In business, everyone squeezes everyone, all over the world. But the publishing industry doesn't understand this, or somehow thinks it should be exempt because it is "special". My primary area of expertise is international transactions. I've worked in over 50 countries for about 45 years (now retired, though) and I have never seen, anywhere, such moaning and groaning about standard business practices as I have seen in the publishing industry. The very fact that they got caught in the price-fixing debacle is proof that they, and their lawyers, had no idea how the world worked. They are part of the world, so welcome to being squeezed!
Joe: Can this be taken as evidence that Amazon is pricing items so low that no one else can compete, and indeed they are trying to become a monopoly?
Paul: Absolutely not. Amazon is currently making huge capital expenditures in infrastructure, warehouses, acquisitions, increasing Amazon Web Services, etc. They might be selling stuff at a huge profit, but spending so much that they run a loss. The loss, alone, is evidence of nothing.
Paul: Quite honestly, given Amazon's current practices I can't think of one. On the other hand, antitrust prosecutions vary with the political climate, so who knows what the future will bring. Amazon would have to do something pretty obvious, and egregious, to be prosecuted.
Joe: Hachette has finally reached an agreement with Amazon, it it seems like they've accepted the same terms as Simon & Schuster, which managed to close a deal relatively quickly. What's your takeaway?
Paul: My takeway has been taken away by Hugh Howey in his two recent blog posts: The Reason for the Delays, goo.gl/PbV5Jr and Amazon and Hachette Come to Terms, http://t.co/VQDru1Dwjx
Joe: I've called the Big 5 (formally Big 6) a cartel and an oligopoly because for decades they have controlled paper book distribution. Their contract terms and royalties for authors are practically identical and notoriously one-sided, because publishers have been the only practical way for authors to get into bookstores and reach readers. They are also one of the only products that prints the MSRP on the product itself, and these prices are pretty much lockstep from one publisher to the next. They have essential decided which authors get published, and by extension which books get read by the world. Do you think the terminology fits, and what is the DOJ's view on oligopolies?
Many media industries today are essentially oligopolies.
Six movie studios receive almost 87% of American film revenues.
The television and high speed internet industry is mostly an oligopoly of seven companies: The Walt Disney Company, CBS Corporation, Viacom, Comcast, Hearst Corporation, Time Warner, and News Corporation.
Four wireless providers (AT&T Mobility, Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile, Sprint Nextel) control 89% of the cellular telephone service market.
Healthcare insurance in the United States consists of very few insurance companies controlling major market share in most states.
Anheuser-Busch and MillerCoors control about 80% of the beer industry.
Joe: I believe the Big 5's insistence on controlling ebook pricing, and keeping those prices high, is to protect their paper cartel. The Hachette/Amazon dispute was less about Amazon wanting bigger margins, and more about Hachette's fear of readers buying more ebooks than paper, essentially disintermediating publishers. Thoughts?
Paul: I have long been puzzled by the publishers insistence on keeping pricing high. It makes no commercial sense, especially as Amazon has always agreed to pay the publisher's price even if Amazon discounted the book. Given the strange nature of the industry, I wonder if there is not some "metaphysical" reason for this. A few years ago I attended a presentation by the President of one of the big 5. She specifically mentioned that ebook prices had to be high because otherwise the print book would be "devalued". Everyone in the audience, who were all from the publishing industry, nodded and smiled in agreement. At question time I specifically asked her what she meant by "devaluing" the book. She couldn't answer. She said that books were important and had great cultural value and that it was important that this be maintained. Made no sense to me, but she was serious. Given the vast majority of books the big 5 publish are mass market crap, I wonder what was going on in her mind. She was very sincere in what she was saying and I wonder if this doesn't have something to do with their attitude. All the execs in the industry have spent all their careers in it, so they have to have become rather inbred.
Joe: Many authors, and many in the media, attacked Amazon for their treatment of Hachette authors during the negotiations. Amazon had no contract with Hachette during much of that period, yet they were called bullies for harming authors. Setting aside the fact that Amazon tried on three different occasions to assist Hachette in compensating authors during negotiations, and was rebuffed by Hachette and Authors United, which entity do you believe was responsible for harming authors, Amazon or Hachette?
Paul: Amazon has no obligation to Hachette or authors. It's main obligation is to its shareholders. It was trying to do get the best deal it could and I see nothing wrong with this.
Joe: Do Hachette authors have a legal argument that their publisher acted in bad faith during negotiations with Amazon?
Paul: Very interesting question. I think a legal argument could be made that Hachette has an obligation to the authors because it is Hachette who is paying them through royalties and the generation of these royalties is primarily up to Hachette. Thus Hachette is obligated to act in the author's best interest, even if that might not comport with its own. I have very little knowledge of publishing law and the law surrounding royalties so I'm not competent to opine on this. I bet you could find a law firm to file a class action suit, on a contingency basis, alleging this, though!!
Joe sez: Thanks, Paul
I began to do some basic antitrust research, starting with The Sherman Act and Clayton Act, which led to Robert Bork and his book The Antiturst Paradox.
Bork argued that the original intent of antitrust laws as well as economic efficiency make consumer welfare and the protection of competition, rather than competitors, the only goals of antitrust law.
Bork's book was cited by over a hundred courts. Further digging led me to the blog of economist Don Boudreaux. Don did an expert takedown of Paul Krugman's anti-Amazon NYT post (Barry and I touched on the Krugman post ourselves).
That lead me to downloading Don's paper How the Market Self-Polices Against Predatory Pricing, written with Andrew Kleit.
I don't profess to understand economics any more than I understand law, but as a layperson I picked up these nuggets:
Low prices invariably reflect superior efficiency rather than monopoly design. To put it bluntly, plaintiffs in predation cases are firms that prefer to compete in the courtroom rather than in the marketplace.
Even if a predator manages to run existing rivals out of business, new
entrants will emerge once the predator starts trying to recoup its price-war
losses by charging monopoly prices. This new competition keeps the
predator from recouping the losses it necessarily incurred by pricing below
cost during the predation period; hence, the threat of new entry is generally
sufficient to keep firms from predatorily pricing in the first place.
That last bit helped it gel for me.
Imagine a lion who wants complete control over a territory, so all the prey becomes his and he won't have to work so hard to hunt. To drive out other predators, he ruthlessly and efficiently--at great cost and energy to himself--out-hunts every other predator in the territory and staunchly defends it. Other predators, who now have nothing to eat, leave the territory.
So now the lion can relax and enjoy the spoils of his labors, right?
The moment the lion gets lazy, other predators will creep back into his territory and challenge him.
So WTF is Preston trying to pursue with the DOJ, other than perhaps attempting to save face?
Amazon isn't a monopoly. And even if it is, monopolies aren't illegal.
Monopsonies aren't part of antitrust law.
Predatory pricing is a boogeyman that can't actually exist, because it is unsustainable. Let's look at Wal-Mart, which has put countless mom and pop shops out of business, and once it no longer had competition in those areas, it raised prices.
Except Wal-Mart doesn't do that. If it did, the mom and pop shops would come back and undercut them. So prices stay low, which benefits consumers, which is what Bork said antitrust law exists to do.
So what's the TL;DR version?
Douglas Preston doesn't like change, is afraid of the future, and blames Amazon. He hopes the DOJ will get involved. They won't. So he whines to The Bookseller, and they report it without any opposing viewpoint. It's all a big non-issue that shouldn't get any media attention.
But it did get media attention. And I just wasted half my day replying to it because somebody needs to.
(drop mic!)


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Cambridge IGCSE® Physics Coursebook with CD-ROM and Cambridge Elevate Enhanced Edition (2 Years)
Format:Print/online bundle
Qualification:Cambridge IGCSE
Author(s):David Sang
This edition of our successful series to support the Cambridge IGCSE Physics syllabus (0625)
Written by a highly experienced author and teacher, Cambridge IGCSE Physics: Coursebook with CD-ROM (second edition) gives comprehensive and accessible coverage of the syllabus content.Suggestions for practical activities are included, designed to help develop the required experimental skills, with full guidance included on the CD-ROM. Study tips throughout the text, exam-style questions at the end of each chapter and a host of revision and practice material on the CD-ROM are designed to help students prepare for their examinations.Answers to the exam-style questions in the Coursebook are provided on the CD-ROM.Mac users please note that CD-ROMs don't autostart when used with Macs they will need to be started manually. If you have any queries please visit our customer support page or contact customer services.
- Comprehensive print and digital coverage of the full syllabus with extra focus on practical skills and exam preparation.
- Carefully selected animated videos aid understanding of challenging scientific concepts whilst bringing the content to life.
- Auto-marked formative assessment quizzes with tailored feedback to incorrect answers which highlight common misconceptions, to ensure continual learning opportunities for students.
- Exam-style questions at the end of every chapter allow students to practise and prepare for their examinations.
- Cambridge Elevate editions are customisable and interactive, allowing students to annotate text, add audio notes and link out to external resources.
- Additional materials including detailed answers to all questions, advice on revision and examinations and recommendations of extra resources are all available to download in the enhanced edition.
- Available online and on tablet devices through the Cambridge Elevate app.
- For information on how to use Cambridge Elevate editions and on supported devices please see inside the front cover.
Coursebook: Introduction
1. Making measurements
2. Describing motion
3. Forces and motion
4. Turning effects of forces
5. Forces and matter
6. Energy transformations and energy transfers
7. Energy resources
8. Work and power
9. The kinetic model of matter
10. Thermal properties of matter
11. Thermal (heat) energy transfers
12. Sound
13. Light
14. Properties of waves
15. Spectra
16. Magnetism
17. Static electricity
18. Electrical quantities
19. Electric circuits
20. Electromagnetic forces
21. Electromagnetic induction
22. The nuclear atom
23. Radioactivity
Answers to questions
CD-ROM: Advice on study and revision skills
Self-assessment checklists
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Additional information
Weight | 0.94 kg |
Dimensions | 21.8 × 27.2 × 1.5 cm |


text:
A rare hybrid solar eclipse is set to take place this weekend, and one pastor believes that such events are not simply coincidences of nature.
Pastor Mark Biltz of El Shaddai Ministries says that these types of solar eclipses in the past have been signs, foretelling important events throughout history, such as the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem. He points out that the rarity of their occurrence reinforces their symbolism.
"Two happened right in a row at the time of destruction of the temple in 70 A.D. and on feast days," Biltz told WND.
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"Around eight months before the Temple was destroyed we find on 10/18/69 there was a partial lunar eclipse on the Feast of Sukkot. A total solar eclipse followed this on Nisan 1-3/30/70, the beginning of the religious year. Two weeks later there was a penumbral lunar eclipse on Passover on 4/14/70. An annular solar eclipse followed this on Rosh Hashanah on 9/23/70. Then another penumbral lunar eclipse on Sukkot on 10/8/70," Biltz continued.
"This would be totally unbelievable, if it wasn't verified by the NASA. But that's not all. Then there was another partial lunar eclipse on Purim the following year on 3/4/71," Biltz said.
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Biltz said the pattern of eclipses continued to occur on Jewish Holy Days for the next year and, in his opinion, corresponded with significant events in Jewish history.
"A hybrid solar eclipse on Nisan 1 on 3/20/71 followed by another hybrid solar eclipse on Rosh Hashanah on 9/12/71. Talk about signs of astronomical proportions happening on the feast days around the destruction of the Temple," Biltz said.
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Sunday's early morning event – an annular solar eclipse that changes into a total solar eclipse – will be visible on the eastern coast of North America, although those living in Africa will experience it best. Slooh, the online observatory and robotic telescope service, will broadcast portions of the event online.
In an annular solar eclipse, the moon's orbit is further from the Earth's surface, such that it is not big enough to cover the sun completely. As a result, those in the shadow of the eclipse will see the sun appearing as a bright ring surrounding the moon.
But along it's course, Sunday's eclipse will become total, completely blocking out the sun and allowing those in its shadow to see stars during the day time. It is this shift from annular to total along its path that makes this a "hybrid" eclipse.
Space.com explains what regions will see either the partial or total eclipse:
Skywatchers in the eastern United States, northeastern South America, southern Europe, the Middle East and most of Africa will be treated to a partial solar eclipse, while people along the path of totality in central Africa will see the sun totally obscured by Earth's nearest neighbor for a few dramatic moments.
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If you live in eastern North America, you'll have to get up early to enjoy the show. The partial eclipse will be visible at sunrise — about 6:30 a.m. local time — and last for about 45 minutes, experts say. Viewers in Boston and New York will see the sun more than 50 percent covered by the moon, while our star will appear 47 percent obscured from Miami and Washington, D.C.
Live streaming at Slooh.com will begin at 6:45 a.m., Eastern, and last three-and-a-half hours. Telescopes in Gabon, Africa, and the Canary Islands will provide the live feed.
Of the nearly 12,000 solar eclipses that have occurred since 1999 B.C., fewer than 5 percent are hybrid eclipses, reports Universe Today.
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Biltz has produced a calendar that will allow individuals to track astronomical developments within a traditional, biblical calendar. He's also working on a book that will go further into detail about the phenomenon of eclipses, which he terms "blood moons," occurring on Jewish Holy Days and their significance.
Pastor John Hagee recently was invited by Fox News to discuss the significance of four eclipses – four blood moons coming over the next two years – on the Jewish Passovers on April 15, 2014, and April 4, 2015, and the Feasts of Tabernacles on Oct. 8, 2014, and Sept. 28, 2015.
Such events have occurred only three other times in recent centuries, and each time they were linked to significant events for the Jewish nation, as outlined in Hagee's new book, "Four Blood Moons: Something is About to Change."
For example, when it happened in 1493 and 1494, Jews were expelled from Spain. The blood moons in 1949 and 1950 came right after the nation of Israel was born, giving the Jews a homeland for the first time in thousands of years.
And in 1967 and 1968 it was linked to the Six-Day War.
"This is something that just is beyond coincidental," Hagee told Fox News. He explained that the prophecies in the Bible say that when the sun refuses to shine – a solar eclipse is expected in the 2014-2015 time frame – and the moon turns to blood, man's redemption is near.
In the Old Testament, the prophet Joel states: "The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come." (Joel 2:31)
In the New Testament, Jesus is quoted as saying: "Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light. … And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." (Matthew 24:29-30)
Acts 2 states: "And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood and fire and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes."
See Hagee's interview:
Biltz said: "Not only are there four blood moons on 4/15/14, 10/8/14, 4/4/15, and 9/28/15, but the added significance is that the total solar eclipse on 3/20/15 is on the biblical calendar of Nisan 1."
He noted Nisan 1 begins the religious New Year, according to the Bible.
"This date was the grand opening of Moses tabernacle in the wilderness. This is the day a great sign came and fire fell to light the burnt offering," Biltz said.
"So here we have a total solar eclipse beginning the religious year followed two weeks later by a total lunar eclipse/blood moon on Passover followed by the next solar eclipse (partial) on Sept 13th which just so happens to be Rosh Hashanah," Biltz continued.
The pastor of El-Shaddai Ministries went into great detail about the significant events that have occurred on these dates in history and in scripture.
"According to Judaism this is the day Adam was created and crowned God as King. This is also begins a shemittah year 7th for the land to rest. The last two shemittah years on Rosh Hashanah, there was global economic catastrophe. In 2001, the Dow fell 7 percent. In 2008, the Dow fell 7 percent. In 2015, could this be our third strike and a major collapse of the global economy?" Biltz pondered.
"The eclipse of the sun signals danger to the nations and of the moon danger to Israel, this is then followed by the total lunar eclipse/blood moon on the Feast of Tabernacles. Not only that, according to NASA, this total blood moon on 9/28/15 will be at perigee meaning it will be a super moon and seen in Jerusalem during the feast of sukkot while the Jewish people will be dwelling outside in their sukkahs looking up toward the heavens.
"The odds of this string of events are truly astronomical," he concluded.
The story began in 2008 when Biltz made an astounding discovery – a story broken first by WND.
Biltz had been studying prophecies that focus on the sun and moon, even going back to the book of Genesis, where it states the lights in the sky would be "be for signs, and for seasons."
"It means a signal, kind of like 'one if by land, two if by sea.' It's like God wants to signal us," he said. "The Hebrew word implies … not only is it a signal, but it's a signal for coming or His appearing."
Biltz counts 6,000 years since the creation of Adam.
"So we are at of the end of the six days ready to enter the seventh day, or the beginning of the 1,000 year millennium rest spoken of in Hebrews and Revelation."
He affirmed that future events cannot be predicted exactly, but he believes there is a clear link between important historical events and the lunar eclipses.
The message, Biltz believes, is that the messianic prophecies that Jesus fulfilled 2,000 years ago, when He came the first time, happened to the very day.
Biltz explains he believes the events surrounding the Second Coming also will happen to the very day of the Fall Feasts.
- The signs in the heavens – the actual dates from NASA when eclipses will occur, including Comet Ison
- Intertwining the civil calendar with the biblical calendar
- Dates of significant biblical events from history
- Personal photos of Israel from yearly tours sponsored by El Shaddai
- Weekly Torah portions with New Testament readings listed
- A full-page write-up explaining the Feasts of the Lord
- Annual biblical holidays and sabbaths highlighted
Watch Biltz explain his findings:
Get Hagee's "Four Blood Moons" now.
Or, better yet, get the book along with Biltz's biblical calendar designed specifically for tracking the feasts and the blood moons throughout 2014 and 2015.


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Proxima Centauri - Closest Star to the Sun
What's in a Name: | Proxima means "closest" because it is currently the closest star to the sun. |
Claim to Fame: | The nearest member of a triple star system which is the closest system to the sun. |
Type of Star: | Red dwarf star on the main sequence with surface temperature as low as 3300 K. |
How Far Away: | 4.2 light years away |
How Big: | 0.07 times the sun's radius. If put Proxima at the location of our sun, could just barely make out the disk. |
How Bright: | 18,000 times fainter than the sun |
Where to View: | Located in the constellation Centaurus, the Centaur (Star Map) |
When to View: | Centaurus is never in the sky viewed from middle northern latitudes (around 40 degrees). As you travel south on the Earth's surface and pass below the equator, you will definitely see it from time to time. |
Last modified January 25, 2006 by Travis Metcalfe.


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Business and Tax Licenses
Obtaining a Business & Tax License
Every person engaged in business in the Town of Parker must comply with the Town's licensing and tax laws, please fill out the Business and Tax License applications (PDF) to obtain a business and tax license.
If you are unsure if you need a business and tax license or if you have questions about the application process please view our webinar on Applying for a Business License.
To submit your completed Business and Tax License application either send it via email or mail to the following address:
- Sales Tax Division
P.O. Box 5602
Denver, CO 80217
Please allow a minimum of 2 weeks for your license to be approved. If you have questions regarding your business license, or you need to update your business information, please email the Sales Tax Division or call 303.805.3228. Please include your account number and business name in your correspondence.
Supplemental Documentation
Depending on your business location, the following forms may be required supplemental information to your Business and Tax License application.
Businesses located in commercial areas of Town are required to submit a Parker Police and Fire Department Information Sheet (PDF). This information is crucial to Police and Fire personnel when responding to an emergency situation.
Businesses located in a private residence are subject to special regulations and requirements for home-based businesses. Please take the time to review and sign the Home Occupation Affidavit (PDF). Additionally, if your home business is an in-home daycare, please complete the Home Daycare Checklist (PDF).
Persons required to obtain a Contractors Registration through the Parker Building Division are no longer required to obtain a Business and Tax License. To determine if you are required to obtain a Contractors Registration please visit the Contractors Registration page. If you have additional questions email the Building Division or call 303.841.1970.
Mobile Food Trucks
Mobile food trucks are required to obtain a Vendor Stand Permit for each location in addition to the Business and Tax License. These permits are issued by the Community Development Department, please review the Vendor Stand Permit (PDF) information. If you have additional questions email the Community Development Department or call 303.841.2332.
Additional Licenses Required
In some instances you may also be required to obtain additional licenses due to the nature of your business. The Town Clerk's office issues the following licenses:
- Liquor License
- Peddlers and Solicitors License
- Merchant Patrol License
- Sexually Oriented Business License
- Pawnbroker License
- Massage Parlor License
For more information, please email the Town Clerk's office or call 303.805.3198.
Contact Us
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Mailing / Payment Address
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Smoked Salmon and Spinach Goat Cheese Strata
The day was clear and chilly here by the mesa. Perfect for a pinon fire in the kiva. We lit vanilla candles and played my favorite mix of winter music- traditional Jewish and Celtic with a little Tom Waits, Sarah McLachlan and Joni Mitchell- pining about rivers or snow or waltzing Matilda- thrown in.
Gluten-Free Smoked Salmon and Spinach Goat Cheese Strata Recipe
Serving strata makes entertaining so easy. And the colors are so festive. Make it a day ahead to let the custard seep in and get happy. My secret? I don't use bread. I use gently toasted gluten-free waffles instead--- and Babycakes! Such a golden pastry-like crust they make. It melts in your mouth. Like buttah.
Extra virgin olive oil
8 plain gluten-free waffles, lightly toasted
3 cups hand torn pieces of smoked salmon
1 20 oz. bag chopped frozen spinach, thawed, drained well
6 cloves of garlic, chopped
Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste
A pinch of nutmeg, to taste
1 15-oz jar organic red and yellow roasted peppers, drained, seeded, cut into strips
12 medium to large organic free-range eggs
1 cup Half and Half
Nutmeg or Old Bay Seasoning, to taste
8 oz. fresh goat cheese
2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan
Prepare a large lasagna-style baking pan- say, 12 x 15 inches- by schmearing it with extra virgin olive oil.
Prepare a large lasagna-style baking pan- say, 12 x 15 inches- by schmearing it with extra virgin olive oil.
Tear the cooled waffles into two or three pieces and line the bottom and sides of the oiled pan to make a crust.
Dump the thawed spinach into a warm skillet, add the garlic, season with sea salt and pepper. Stir and cook it down over medium to low heat until all the liquid is reduced, about ten minutes. Press with paper towels, if needed, to remove all the moisture. You don't want a soggy strata, now do you? Remove from heat and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the heck out of the dozen eggs and add the milk. Add a dash of nutmeg or Old Bay Seasoning, to taste.
Assemble the strata:
Scatter the smoked salmon all over the waffles. Cut and layer the goat cheese evenly over the salmon. Spread the garlicky spinach evenly over the goat cheese. Press the spinach with a flat spatula [if there is any remaining liquid, blot it up with a clean paper towel]. Add a layer of red and yellow pepper strips. Pat gently with the spatula to flatten. Slowly pour the egg custard all over the layers, and allow the mixture to seep in and around all the nooks and crannies, without disturbing the layers. You want the egg custard to reach the bottom crust and soak in. Sprinkle some shredded Parmesan all over the top- but not too much- let the beautiful red and green colors of the spinach and peppers show through.
Cover the strata with plastic wrap and chill overnight (or at least eight hours).
Next Day:
Remove the strata from the fridge thirty minutes before baking. Pre-heat the oven to 350ºF. Take off the plastic wrap and bake the strata in the center of the oven till set and slightly golden. For me, that was about 45 to 50 minutes, but it can cook for up to an hour, depending upon the size and depth of your dish, your altitude, etc.. Just keep an eye on it. Test the center with a wooden pick to make sure it is cooked all the way through.
Set the strata on a wire rack for ten minutes before slicing and serving.
Serves 6 hearty appetites or 8 as a light meal or side dish.
Serve with muffins and a winter fruit salad, if desired.
Need to make some waffles for a crust? My Savory Waffle recipe is here.
Recipe Source: glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com
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XPEL To Host Conference Call To Discuss Second Quarter 2018 Results
XPEL, Inc. To Host Conference Call To Discuss Second Quarter 2018 Results
San Antonio, TX – July 30, 2018– XPEL, Inc. (TSXV: DAP.U), a global supplier of automotive paint protection and window protection films, today announced it will host a conference call and webcast on Wednesday, August 29 at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time to discuss the Company's second quarter 2018 results.
To access the live webcast, please visit the XPEL website at www.xpel.com/investor.
To participate in the call by phone, dial (877) 407-8033 approximately five minutes prior to the scheduled start time. International callers please dial (201) 689-8033.
A replay of the teleconference will be available until September 29, 2018, and may be accessed by dialing (877) 481-4010. International callers may dial (919) 882-2331. Callers should use conference ID: 35200.
About XPEL, Inc.
XPEL leads the industry in designing, manufacturing and distributing high-performance automotive paint and headlamp protection film technologies. Using XPEL's proprietary software and materials, our professional design team develops products that deliver the ultimate in vehicle protection, meeting the demands of a broad range of makes and models. With more than 70,000 vehicle-specific applications and a global network of trained installers, XPEL is dedicated to exceeding customer expectations in providing high-quality products, customer service, and technical support. XPEL (TSXV: DAP.U) is publicly traded on the TSXV Exchange. Visit www.xpel.com for more information.
Safe harbor statement
This release includes forward-looking statements regarding XPEL and its business, which may include, but is not limited to, anticipated use of proceeds from capital transactions, expansion into new markets, and execution of the company's growth strategy. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans," "is expected," "expects," "scheduled," "intends," "contemplates," "anticipates," "believes," "proposes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results "may," "could," "would," "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Such statements are based on the current expectations of the management of XPEL. The forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this release may not occur by certain specified dates or at all and could differ materially as a result of known and unknown risk factors and uncertainties affecting the company, performance and acceptance of the company's products, economic factors, competition, the equity markets generally and many other factors beyond the control of XPEL. Although XPEL has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Except as required by applicable securities laws, forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and XPEL undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
For more information contact: |
Investor Relations: John Nesbett/Jennifer Belodeau Institutional Marketing Services (IMS) Phone: (203) 972-9200 Email: firstname.lastname@example.com |